No One's Here to Sleep
by stilinskiboner
Summary: Stiles hates his birthday. Mainly Stydia with a dash of Scira.


**A/N: So basically I've been in a really dark place for a really long time and recently I've lost all inspiration for my three stories. I'm still going to try and complete Where the Story Ends before the season six premiere of TVD which will come as a challenge for me, but for now I'm putting all of my series on hold. One shots are about as much as I can muster up right now and I apologize for that. **

**Really missing Scott&Stiles's friendship because they really barely hang out anymore and I hate it. So they're more like the way they were in season one in this. Also, it was said that Claudia Stilinski died six years ago, or something like that, but the time is going to be changed a bit, sorry. **

**Based off the song by Naughty Boy&Bastille.**

…

No One's here to Sleep

…

It was only midnight when Stiles had flung himself off the bed after a particularly loud bang had echoed through the house. _What the hell?_ Stiles barely had time to grab his ever infamous baseball bat before a body came lunging in through the window. He made a move to hit the intruder with the bat before it was unsurprisingly thrown out of his hands.

"Dude, calm down, it's just me," Scott said as he flicked on the light, his hands held up in surrender. Stiles sat down on the bed and attempted to even out his heartbeat.

"What the _hell_ are you doing in my room at midnight? You know what? No, don't even answer that, I don't want to know."

Scott grinned sheepishly at him before patting him on the shoulder. "It's your birthday."

Stiles shot back in surprise. Oh. _Oh._ He had forgotten completely. How the hell did he manage to forget his own birthday? He had a feeling constantly dealing with nonstop supernatural drama had caused his mind to blank out the event entirely.

Scott was watching him, eyebrow arched in clear amusement. "You forgot, didn't you?"

"What? No," Stiles said nonchalantly, making a face. "Okay, yes."

Scott snorted and sat down on the bed next to his friend. He pulled a bottle of whiskey out of his backpack and offered it to Stiles. "I bear you a gift."

"Oh, hell _yes_," Stiles grinned as he practically ripped the bottle away from Scott and took a swig of it. "Have I ever told you why you're my best friend? Because I'm pretty sure this is it."

Scott nodded his head and drank a little bit before standing up.

"You're leaving already?" Stiles asked as Scott tossed him the bottle.

"Sorry, dude," Scott shrugged sheepishly before sticking one leg out the window. "Have fun with the whiskey."

And just like that, he was gone. Stiles watched the window for a moment before shaking his head and falling back against his bed. He loathed his birthday, and Scott knew it. For a long time now, Scott had been trying everything to distract him and keep him happy on this goddamn day, but nothing had worked. Scott got an A+ for the effort though. On his fifteenth birthday, Scott had even snuck them into their first club and for a while Stiles could fool himself into thinking that maybe this year things would be different, but they never were. After all, it hadn't been all that long ago when his mom had been there with him on his birthday. It was the night he had learned she was sick.

…

Stiles made an immediate stop at his best friend's locker before first period the next day. Scott gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before reaching to grab a notebook. As Stiles leaned against the row of terribly ugly lockers, he met Malia's glare as she passed by. Alright. So, she was still angry, then. Scott turned just in time to see the exchange and sighed.

"It's been three weeks. You think she would've been able to see past the fact that you kept something from her for her own good by now."

Stiles shrugged. "I'm getting over it. I'm getting over _her."_

He had been trying since the day she had walked out on him in the vault to talk to her, but she wouldn't let him get anywhere near her. She had officially broken up with him the next day, claiming that she would never date someone she couldn't trust and he'd respected her wishes, had given her space. She was doing everything in her power to spite him anymore, though. The first week without her had been alright; she didn't say anything to him and he backed away as requested. It was the next two weeks that she had started acting out, and he knew it was all his fault.

She wasn't just ignoring him; she had started ignoring the entire pack. Without the pack to keep her in check, she began to start acting animalistic again, barely showing up to school, growling at people who got too close to her, the usual. Scott had tried talking to her, Kira as well, but she wanted nothing to do with them, calling them all liars. Even Lydia had attempted to talk some sense into her, but apparently that hadn't gone over too well because Scott had found the two girls in an empty classroom, Malia with her claws raised high. That was when Stiles began to give up.

He knew she needed someone, anyone, but she wanted nothing to do with him, and she was nearly hurting his friends for Christ's sakes. What else was he supposed to do? She obviously still wanted her space and he had already tried forcing her into talking to him, which as expected, did _not_ go well.

"I'm glad. Derek's been talking to her recently. Well, he's been trying to, anyway," Scott said sheepishly, expecting an honest blow up from his best friend. Stiles merely shrugged in response.

"She needs someone right now."

Scott was saved from having to conjure up a reply as Lydia moved over to the two boys, her high heels echoing throughout the hall. She stopped in front of Stiles and glared at him.

"It's your birthday and you didn't tell me?"

He snapped his head over to glare at Scott who was conveniently looking at anything but Stiles.

"I don't like celebrating it, that's all," He forced a shrug. Lydia narrowed her eyes and poked him in the chest with her finger.

"But I happen to _love_ birthdays and don't think for a second I don't plan on celebrating yours."

A year ago, Stiles would've died. (Lydia Martin had not only just touched him; she had also implied she wanted to spend his birthday together). It was different now, though. He had gotten good at ignoring the instinctive hope that welled up in his chest every time they talked, every time they seemed to get closer. He rolled his eyes.

"Lydia, you really don't have to-."

She cut him off with an arched eyebrow and an icy glare. "I expect you both at my house tonight at 8:00 sharp." She pointed at them both before slowly retreating to go to class.

As soon as she was out of sight, Stiles smacked Scott in the arm, unsurprisingly getting no reaction of pain. Scott smiled at him apologetically.

"Come on, Stiles. Maybe it'll be a good distraction."

Distraction his ass.

…

"I cannot believe I actually agreed to this," Stiles grumbled from his position in the car. He glared at the huge house in front of him, occasionally glancing over to glare at Scott as well. Stiles knew he had been trying to help but with everything going on, being hunted by assassins specifically, it had probably been a mistake. Maybe he should've just stayed home this year. Normally, he would've jumped at the chance to get a night without having to deal with anything supernatural, but he wasn't sure he wanted that night to be tonight. He didn't want to have to think about why he hated this day so much.

"If you don't get out of the car in the next thirty seconds, I will drag you out," Scott warned, looking at him pointedly.

Stiles groaned as he opened the door, turning to glare at his best friend again. "You know, I really hate you sometimes."

Lydia opened the door within seconds of them ringing the bell and they could only guess she had been waiting.

"It's 8:09. If I remember correctly, I said 8:00 sharp," She teased, slightly before pulling them both inside, leading them to the den. There were blue streamers hung around walls, white balloons scattered everywhere. In the middle of it all was a huge Marvel cake sitting atop the coffee table. Stiles gaped while Scott grinned. This girl definitely knew how to plan.

"This is…wow," He finally said, glancing over at her. Her hair was hanging down her shoulders in heavy curls, a skin tight green dress showcasing her curves perfectly. Stiles bit his lip and looked away. No, he had to be over her. He had to.

The three of them took a seat on the leather couches, Stiles being the first to cut into the cake. As he stabbed a particularly large piece with a blue plastic fork, he glanced over at the door several times. He was sure she was going to make this a huge party; this was Lydia Martin, for Christ's sakes. But as he met her eyes, she slowly shook her head.

"I didn't think you'd want a big party," She said hesitantly. That wasn't the only reason it was just them, though. She found that as the days passed, she was more comfortable being around only the pack. She didn't care for all the attention, not anymore.

"Wait, so it's just the three of us?" Stiles asked after swallowing.

"Well, Kira's coming a little later. But yes, other than that, it's just us."

He could've cried, he was so happy. Thank God. The last thing he wanted to do was be around a group of drunken teenagers right now. He himself wouldn't mind a few drinks, though.

…

Kira arrived only an hour later. She walked in to a somewhat humorous scene, Scott and Stiles wrestling around on the couch, Lydia watching them with a disgruntled expression.

"Uh, hi," She greeted, Scott shooting up off the couch within seconds. She watched in slight amusement as he tried to hastily push his shirt back into place. He sheepishly grinned at her and she only laughed.

It hadn't taken all that long for both Stiles and Lydia to realize that this seemed suspiciously like a double date. Scott and Kira had cuddled up on the loveseat leaving Stiles and Lydia to find something to entertain themselves with. As soon as her phone went off, Lydia bolted to the kitchen thankful for the escape away from the awkwardness that seemed to be emitting from the den.

Stiles silently groaned as he watched Scott move in to kiss Kira. Oh, this was going to be fun. Not only was this awkward as all hell, he was also going to have to deal with _that. _He was already starting to miss being in a relationship.

He watched as Lydia reentered the den, phone in hand, a crooked smile in place. He couldn't help but wonder who had caused the reaction, jealousy tingling in the pit of his stomach as she let out a small laugh at the text message she had received.

"You sure look smiley," He observed, poking at her arm. He wasn't expecting her to blush slightly and turn her phone away from him.

"Oh, no. It was just something Isaac said," She admitted, tucking a strand of stray hair behind her ear. That seemed to catch Scott's attention and he abruptly dropped Kira's hand.

"You've talked to him?" He asked, surprised. Isaac hadn't tried contacting anyone in the pack since he left, but Scott didn't blame him. It was too painful of a reminder. The fact that he was talking to Lydia, someone he had barely ever talked to, was not only surprising to Scott but to the other two occupants in the room as well. Kira hadn't been around for long but she had been there long enough to sense that Isaac and Lydia hadn't exactly had much of a friendship. And Stiles…well, Stiles was taken aback. How in the _hell_ had Lydia and Isaac developed a seemingly overnight friendship?

Lydia looked uncomfortable with the question. "Yeah, but it wasn't his choice."

The room remained silent and she took that as her cue to continue.

"I didn't really have anyone else to talk to at the time…," She trailed off.

Stiles narrowed his eyes. Uh, she totally could have talked to him _and_ Scott _and _Kira. What else wasn't she saying?

"Look, it's really nothing," She rolled her eyes. "If you want his number so bad, I can just give it to you."

"Yeah, actually. That'd be great," Scott said reaching for his phone. As Lydia read the number, Stiles pulled out his own phone. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get the long lost wolf's number as well, though he would never admit it.

As soon as everyone put their phones away, Kira clapped her hands together.

"Let's play a game."

"What kind of game?" Scott asked arching an eyebrow.

"A board game, obviously," Lydia said, picking at her nails. She rolled her eyes when they turned to stare. "Sarcasm. Ever heard of it?"

"I was thinking truth or dare," Kira suggested slyly.

"Not enough drinking," Stiles piped in, ready for some liquor. He wasn't surprised when both Lydia and Kira shot him a curious glance. Only Scott knew about his taste for alcohol; he hadn't really allowed anyone else in the pack to see that side of him. He got emotional when he was wasted, but he needed something for tonight. He wasn't going to make it through the night without just a little bit, preferably a lot, of liquor.

"Alright," Lydia said, slowly. "Never Have I Ever, then?"

…

A very expansive brand of alcohol Stiles had never heard of was being passed around the room, shot glasses too. The group had all circled around the fireplace, shot glasses in hand. Lydia sat closest to the fire, and as hard as Stiles tried to avert his eyes, he couldn't help but stare at the skin the dress was suddenly exposing to everyone.

"Stiles?"

Stiles blinked rapidly and turned away, realizing Kira had been talking to him, or at least had been attempting to. She was looking at him expectantly, Scott rolling his eyes behind her. Oh, Stiles had definitely been caught. He coughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Right, what were you saying?"

Kira laughed a little. "I was just saying that the birthday boy should start."

Stiles nodded and made a face, acting like he was thinking. "Never have I ever learned my best friend was a werewolf."

"But you have…" Scott trailed off.

"That's the point," He said, pouring himself a shot and downing it before anyone could say anything else.

Scott watched him in slight concern before shaking it off and grinning. "Never have I ever been able to control electricity."

Kira narrowed her eyes at him as she took a shot. "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"No way, never," Scott crossed his heart and grinned playfully at her causing both Stiles and Lydia to groan.

They continued for a while, Lydia only getting to down a few shots, most of the alcohol being consumed by the lovely couple. It was only after his fifth shot that Stiles finally took another turn.

"Never have I ever hidden something from the rest of the pack," He said, staring directly at Lydia. She arched an eyebrow and glared at him, unwillingly taking the bait. She knew he was wondering why the hell she had been texting Isaac and that he wasn't going to drop it as easily as she had hoped.

_Fine_, she thought, _let's play hardball._

She took a shot and ignored the looks Kira and Scott were both giving her and instead focused her attention entirely on the birthday boy. "Never have I ever had to stop my significant other from eating a squirrel."

His eyes narrowed at that. Oh, she did not. She did not seriously just bring Malia into this. He angrily yanked the bottle away from her and took a sip straight from the bottle.

"Never have I ever had a thing for a lizard."

She gaped at him for a second before she ripped the bottle directly out of his hands and took a long drink. Scott shot Stiles a warning look, but he wasn't buying into it. No, she had done this to herself. She was the one who brought up past relationships; he was only doing the same.

"Never have I ever been benched for an entire season of lacrosse."

Stiles didn't even flinch as he took a sip, Scott doing the same. Kira glanced at him in surprise and he shrugged sheepishly. "Freshmen year."

Kira raised an eyebrow brow shaking her head and coughing loudly. "Alright guys, maybe we should-"

"Never have I ever acted like I was better than everyone else to protect my own feelings."  
Lydia jerked back, and Stiles knew he had gone too far.

"Lydia, wait-"

She shrugged and took a shot before looking up at him seemingly devoid of emotion. "Never have I ever chased after someone who clearly wanted nothing to do with me for years."

He stared at her, his heart ripping apart. He drank the rest of the bottle before numbly setting it back down on the small coffee table. Scott shot Lydia an incredulous look, Kira shaking her head at both Lydia and Stiles.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Kira nearly exploded after a few minutes of uncomfortable silence. She could nearly feel the regret and guilt radiating off both of them and couldn't understand why they had just said the things they had.

When nobody bothered to answer her, she threw her hands up in the air and angrily stalked to the kitchen. Scott didn't follow, clearly surprised by her outburst. He shot both Lydia and Stiles disapproving looks before leaning forward to grab another bottle of alcohol; he was definitely going to need it.

…

Lydia had been sitting in her room for a few hours, now, Kira outside her door trying to coax her into coming out. She refused to come out, feeling both hurt and guilty. She knew she shouldn't have gone as far as she did, but Stiles hadn't really held back either. She couldn't understand why they were choosing now to get into a fight, but it was done and over with. She didn't want to talk to him even though a small part (large part) of her was urging her to just go down and apologize. The last person on this planet that she wanted to fight with was Stiles, but he had pushed her too hard. She hadn't given him or even Scott any shit about the weeks they spent abandoning her for their girlfriends even though she definitely should have, but that didn't mean she wasn't still upset over it. Tonight had just been her releasing a portion of that anger, though she knew she did it in the wrong way entirely.

She was also aware of the fact that Stiles had only gotten shitty because of her egging him on. Really, all he had done was point out that she hadn't been entirely honest with them which was true. She didn't want him to know just how upset she had been over being ignored by the entire pack for weeks on end because she was Lydia. She was supposed to be able to take care of herself. When it came down to it, the fight had really only stemmed out of fear. She shouldn't have pushed it as far as she did, but that didn't mean she was planning on leaving her room any time soon.

…

Stiles was propped up against the couch, completely gone by this point. He was positive he hadn't been this wasted in a very long time and he was welcoming the feeling with open arms. Scott had left the room for only five minutes but apparently that had been enough time for Stiles to drink two entire bottles.

"I'll tell you," Stiles slurred, putting his fist in the air. "Girls suck."

"Alright, I think you've had enough to drink," Scott stated, gently taking the bottle out of his best friend's hand. He knew he couldn't take Stiles home like this, but he had been drinking too so going to his own home was out of the question.

The only option would be to stay at Lydia's and he was positive his drunken friend would definitely refuse. He just hoped he was too drunk to really notice.

"Low blow," Stiles was saying, Scott vaguely paying attention. "She hit me low."

"I know, buddy," The wolf agreed, pulling Stiles up onto the couch.

"Whoa, the world is spinning," He exclaimed, slumping over a bit.

_Great_, Scott thought,_ just great._

"Exactly how drunk is he?" Kira questioned as she padded into the den. Scott sighed and gripped the bridge of his nose.

"Drunk enough," He muttered, watching to make sure his friend didn't break down. He knew Stiles got extremely emotional when he was drunk and he was positive this time wouldn't be an exception.

Kira nodded. "Lydia won't come out of her room and I swear I've tried everything short of breaking the door down."

"Well, I can't take him home like this and I definitely can't take him back to my house. I'm thinking we're going to have to stay here," He suggested, watching the emotions play across his girlfriend's face.

"_Here?_" She whisper-yelled.

"What other choice do we have? Just ask Lydia if we can stay and if she refuses, then we'll deal with it."

Kira took a deep breath before nodding. "Fine."

She hurried up the stairs and Scott turned to face his friend again. Stiles looked up at him, his eyes watering.

"Loved her," He mumbled, wiping at his eyes. Scott wasn't sure if he meant his mom or Lydia, but either way this wasn't going well. He took a seat next to Stiles and wrapped an arm around him.

"I know, dude, I know."

…

Lydia whipped the door open as soon as Kira had announced that the boys needed a place to stay, and the kitsune jumped back in surprise. She was expecting Lydia to be angry, but the strawberry-blonde only sighed in resignation.

"Tell them to take a pick. Half the rooms in this house are empty," Lydia announced bitterly, throwing her arms out in the air. Kira bit back a response and gently pat the other girl's shoulder before quickly making her way back downstairs to the den.

Lydia leaned on the railing, listening as Kira started rambling about the boys being able to stay. Kira informed Scott that she had to go, though, and Lydia could practically hear the other boy sigh in disappointment.

She pressed herself against the wall as Scott helped Stiles up the stairs, the kitsune following behind. Stiles met her eyes as they moved and tried to glare at her.

"You did low blow," He stated before Scott hastily continued to move him. Lydia waited until she heard a bedroom door open before letting out a deep breath. She turned to find Kira staring at her quizzically.

"Yes?" She questioned, slightly annoyed by the look she was receiving.

"Nothing," Kira put her hands up in quick surrender. "I just think you're both being really stupid."

She was gone before Lydia had a chance to reply.

…

"Well, this was, uh, nice," Kira managed to say as she shrugged her arms through the sleeves of her leather jacket.

"Yeah," Lydia said hoarsely. Scott placed a kiss at the top of Kira's head before she gave a slight wave.

"I'll see you guys later."

And with that, she was gone, Scott shutting the door behind her. He moved to stand in front of Lydia and sighed.

"I didn't-," She started to say.

He cut her off with the shake of his head. "I don't blame you. I think you both were stuck in the moment, but you should still probably talk to him. He's pretty torn up."

She knew the words were a slight warning and she slowly nodded her head. What she wasn't expecting was for Scott to question her.

"What did Stiles mean earlier?"

She arched her eyebrow, pretending to be clueless. She had gotten good at the act over the years. "Stiles said a lot of things."

Scott rolled his eyes. "No, about you hiding things from us. What did he mean?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. She knew this was coming. "It's nothing, Scott. I swear."

"You're lying. Lydia, you can talk to us, you're a part of the pack."

She winced slightly at the sympathy in his voice. Was she really a part of the pack, though? She sure as hell didn't feel like it anymore, not after the weeks she had been ignored.

"I should probably go to bed," She finally said, Scott unsurprised by her rejection. He knew she wouldn't open up to him; whatever she was hiding was eating up at her, though and he could tell.

He followed her up the stairs, whispering a hushed goodnight, before slipping into an unoccupied room. She pressed a hand to her head before moving into her own room. She knew she needed to talk to Stiles. She knew she should've gotten up to see him, to mend things, but instead she stripped off her dress and pulled on a tank top and grey sweatpants. She fell back against her bed and pulled the comforter against her chest. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, but it didn't last long.

…

She awoke around 11:30 PM to the sound of sniffling in the room next door. She shut her eyes and tried to ignore it; he wouldn't want to see her. But as it got louder, she couldn't help herself from slowly leaving the warmth of her bed and moving into the room next door. As she opened the door, she saw a disheveled Stiles sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands.

"Stiles?"

He jumped up in surprise but didn't say anything. She took his silence as a cue for her to leave, but she didn't. She shut the door behind her before making a move to sit next to him. He flinched and moved away.

"No, don't," He spat, holding up a hand to keep her at arm's length. She swallowed and continued to move.

"Lydia, stop," His voice cracked and she winced. She didn't continue to move, even though her body was fighting against her head, and instead shot him a look.

"I didn't mean any of it," She admitted. "You're so much more than the kid who follows me around."

He snorted. "Oh, no, really that was just the icing on the cake."

She couldn't help but be confused. "What do you mean?"

"Never mind," He sighed. "Look, I'm okay, I'll be fine."

She bit her lip and shook her head. He was so far from fine right now. "I'm not leaving."

He didn't respond, instead shifted so that he was lying down again, and pulled the covers up to his chin. Even in the dark she could dimly see the tears gleaming off his cheek.

"Stiles, please," She begged, her own voice cracking. She didn't want to see him like this, didn't want him to hate her because she needed him far more than she allowed herself to admit.

"Please what?" He muttered after a while. She couldn't help herself from getting a little teary-eyed. She had never fought with someone so close to her before, not like this, and she absolutely despised the feeling. She quickly came to the conclusion that Stiles was her rock. He had his problems just like anyone else, and she was realizing that she really couldn't imagine a life without him in it.

"Don't hate me."

He stilled at that before slowly turning to face her. She stood at the edge of the bed, her hair pulled up in a messy bun, devoid of all makeup and he couldn't help but cherish the sight. "Hate you? Lydia, I don't hate you."

She bit her lip before moving to sit next to him on the opposite side of the bed. He didn't push her away this time and she took advantage of that.

"I just…Stiles, I need you to know that I really didn't mean what I said earlier."

He nodded his head. "I didn't mean any of it, either."

She wiped away the tear tracks on her face and silently laughed at herself. Was she really crying over him being mad at her?

"Can I ask you a question?" He asked a few moments later. She placed her head against the pillow as he turned to face her, and nodded.

"Why did you start talking to Isaac?"

She reeled back, her mind immediately putting up a huge brick wall. "It's not-"

He shook his head, silencing her. "Honestly?"

She blinked and bit her lip. "You and Scott were always with Malia and Kira, and I didn't really have anyone. I was always the fifth wheel, and it just seemed like you forgot about me. I just needed someone and once I got ahold of his number, we just kind of clicked."

Stiles watched her, his entire body filling up with guilt. How had he not noticed himself slipping away from Lydia? And when did this development occur? When had she suddenly started needing him more than he ever realized?

"I didn't even realize…Lydia, I'm so sorry," He apologized, reaching out to push a strand of hair out of her eyes. She welcomed the touch, even closed her eyes. He watched her reaction in surprise and moved his hand to caress her cheek. Her entire body went still but her mind was reeling. She definitely should not be feeling the things she was feeling. This was Stiles. She wasn't supposed to enjoy the feeling of his fingers on her cheek. She wasn't supposed to want more. She just really hoped he wasn't aware of this sudden discovery.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asked, acknowledging his apology, but brushing it off.

He nodded his head, and his eyebrows furrowed in that adorable way-

Lydia stopped herself. What the hell was that? Was she seriously thinking that?

"Why do you really hate celebrating your birthday?"

He looked surprised. He had a feeling that maybe she was able to read him just as well as he was her. "Am I that obvious?"

"Absolutely."

Stiles sighed deeply before rolling over to lie on his back. He tucked his hands behind his head and hesitantly began retelling the painful events of the night that changed his life.

_It was raining. Not just little drops but huge ones that made a noise when they hit the window. Stiles had been watching them all day, fascinated by the sight. The lightning was getting worse, though and eventually his father had to pull him away. It was the look in his father's eyes as Stiles was pulled down into the kitchen that made him wary, though._

"_Dad?" He asked questioningly. He ached to ask the question but was unsure if he wanted to know the answer. _

_The sheriff sighed. "I'm taking you over to Scott's for a while; I've gotta run some errands."_

_Even long-limbed, gangly, thirteen year old Stiles, was able to see the lie. His dad was hiding something from him, and he didn't like it. He nodded hesitantly before bolting up the stairs to grab some things. Usually, when he was dropped off at the McCall household, he ended up spending the night; it had always been that way. _

_He packed up a duffel bag before he made his way to his parent's room, where his mom had been uncharacteristically sleeping all day. Normally, she was up and moving, always keeping her hands busy. But the past few days, she had been acting strange; she just wasn't herself. _

"_Mom?" Stiles called into the dimly lit room. He waited for a response and when he didn't receive one, he moved forward and placed a chaste kiss to her temple. Apparently, that had been a mistake. Her eyes flew open, and she frantically looked around the room. _

"_Are you okay?" He asked dumbly. Her eyes searched his face before a sinister smile appeared._

"_You're not him; it's just a dream, just a dream." She lunged for his arm and he immediately jumped back, calling for his father in the process. _

"_Claudia, no!" The sheriff was there in seconds, yanking his wife back into the bed. "Stiles, go! Get in the car and wait; I'll be there soon."_

_Stiles could feel himself shaking as he hastily moved towards the garage. He couldn't think about what had just happened, wouldn't think about it. He angrily got into the car and flung his bag in the back. His dad had clearly been keeping this from him. His mom had to of been sick before today, but nobody had bothered to tell Stiles this. He knew you didn't just wake up one day and start acting the way she had been. _

_The car ride was silent, Stiles refusing to say anything to his dad, too angry about the secrets that had been kept. He ignored his dad's muffled goodbye as they pulled up to the McCall household, grabbing his duffel bag before running through the downpour up to the porch. _

_Melissa immediately ushered him inside, Scott not far behind. _

"_Stiles, honey, at least let me dry your hoodie," She begged. She had already asked a few times if he wanted her to dry his clothes, and he had politely declined. He was scared that if he couldn't feel the cold, wet rain against his skin, he wouldn't be able to feel at all. He would be forced to process what had happened with his mom, and right now he wanted nothing more than to not. _

_He peeled his wet hoodie off his head and passed it to her, earning himself a small smile. She rushed off to go dry it off, and Scott gave him a look. It was one of those looks that Scott had been giving him a lot recently, always seeming to notice when Stiles was stressed or when everything was rough._

_The two boys made their way up to Scott's room, Scott calmly shutting the door behind them._

"_Dude, change. You're going to get like hypothermia," Scott suggested. Stiles finally gave in and swapped his wet shirt for something dry, leaving his mostly-dry jeans on. _

"_Something's going on," He finally said after a few minutes of silence. Scott nodded his head._

"_Yeah, I figured. What is it?"_

"_My mom. She just-," He cut himself off, gesturing wildly with his hands. "She's, I don't know, she's acting really weird."_

_Scott arched an eyebrow. "Weird how?"_

"_I think she's sick, Scott. I think she's really sick," He finally admitted, both to his best friend and himself. Scott watched him, waiting for him to explain._

"_I went in there to say goodbye and she woke up and started acting crazy. She kept saying it was just a dream and then she tried to grab me, but I bolted. Man, I don't know what I'm supposed to do."_

"_I bet she'll be okay. My mom won't let anything happen to her, Scout's honor," Scott saluted. He goofily grinned at Stiles and nudged him a few times. "Hey, it's your birthday tomorrow."_

_Stiles blinked. "Oh, right."_

"_Did you seriously forget your own birthday?" Scott asked incredulously._

"_No, I didn't, I just don't really think it matters this year," He shrugged. Scott gaped at him._

"_But it's your birthday, of course it matters!"_

_Stiles rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. Anyway, I brought the new COD game and we should definitely play it because it's just sitting in my bag, looking all lonely."_

_Scott rolled his eyes but agreed nonetheless. The two boys were up well past midnight, neither of them ready for the news they would receive the next day._

_.._

"_Stiles, honey, wake up."_

_Stiles could hear Melissa's voice and winced as he felt Scott's elbow ram into his ribs. Melissa watched as Stiles slowly woke up and made a face. How the hell was she going to tell him?_

"_What time is it?" He yawned, stretching his arms above his head, effectively smacking Scott in the jaw in the process. _

"_Dude, watch it!" Scott pushed him and rubbed at his jaw._

"_It's about 9:00 am. I don't mean to worry you, but we need to go to the hospital."_

_Stiles immediately tensed up at that. "What? Why?"_

_She sighed. "Your dad called me a few minutes ago and said it was important."_

_Scott stilled and watched his friend nervously. This wasn't going to end well._

…

_Stiles sat in the waiting room, head in hands. He had just learned the worst news of his life and even better, had gotten in a fight with his father, too. He felt a presence beside him and wasn't surprised to find the seat occupied by Scott. _

"_Hey, it'll be okay," Scott promised. He had no idea what to say to comfort him, though. _

_Stiles laughed bitterly. "Didn't your mom tell you?"_

"_Tell me what?" _

"_My mom has frontotemporal dementia. She's not going to get better; she's only going to get worse."_

_Scott stilled. "What exactly does that mean?"_

"_Basically? She's losing her mind," Stiles admitted, watching Scott through his hands. _

"_But, she'll be okay, right?"_

_Another bitter laugh from Stiles. "No, I don't think she will." _

Stiles blinked as he finished the story, Lydia gaping at him, horrified.

"Stiles, that's…"

"Yep. She spent another year in the hospital and then died. I was with her."

Lydia couldn't control herself as she flung her arms around him. He welcomed the hug, wrapping his arms around her small waist.

"Yeah, so, that's why I hate my birthday," He mumbled against her hair. It was silent for a few seconds before Lydia pulled away from him.

"I just…" She trailed off, unsure of what to say. There was really nothing she could possibly do to make this situation any better. Unless…

"Close your eyes," She ordered.

He looked at her like she was insane. "Why?"

Lydia sighed. He really had to make this difficult, didn't he? "Just do it."

He gave her a look before he hesitantly obliged. She cradled his face in her hands before she slowly pressed her lips against his. He was unresponsive for only a few seconds before he finally realized what was happening.

He was the first to pull away, unable to process what had just happened. "Did you just-?"

Lydia grinned crookedly. "I did. Now you can think of that on your birthday, instead."

God, leave it to Lydia to come up with something like that. He returned the grin before wrapping his arms around her again. He was positive in that moment that he loved her.

"Happy birthday, Stiles."


End file.
